Fuel can with self-erecting flexible spout



July 25, 1950 A. 1'. SMITH FUEL CAN WITH SELF-ERECTING FLEXIBLE SPOUTFiled July 24,

Patented July 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,516,728 :FUEL-"VJTH 'SELF-ERECTING FLEXIBLE SPOUT Alva T. Smith, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application Jilly .24, 1947, Serial No. 763,297

4 Claims. ((1222-1108) invention relates to fuel cans, more parhavingthe inherent tendency to assume an upright position .when free so as topreclude accidental escape of fluid, the can being provided with adrainage trough adaptedto minimize accumulations of fuel residues on theexterior of the can and to accommodate the pouring Spout when not in useand joined in sealing engagement with an air vent.

Fuel cans for servicing small gasoline engines and particularly gasolineengines of the 2 cycle variety as heretofore furnished have been open tocertain serious drawbacks. The usual container employed for servicingoutboard motors, for example, is handled only with difliculty in amoving boat and spillage of fuel frequently results. Also, where thefuel contains oilmixed with it as isnecessary in the case of 2 cycleengines small amounts of spillage result in the formation of an oilcoating on the exterior of the can rendering the same likely to soil theusers clothes and disagreeable to handle.

One object of this invention is to provide a fuel container having aflexible pouring spout which facilitates the transfer of fuel into asmall engine tank which fiexiblepouring spout will not cause accidentaldrainage of the container.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fuel can having aflexible pouring-spout which may be housed in a position where the sameis protected from damage when the container is not in use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fuel can in whichall'pointsof possible small spillage are disposed within areas whichwill drain in' a manner preventing formation of. a coating of fuelresidues on the exposed side surfaces of the can.

Another object of this inventionis to provide a'fuel can which maybereadily and completely sealed but which when'placed in use in pouringcondition automatically opens a vent to facilitate pouring. I v I Theabove and other objects. and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent from the description which follows which is set forth inconjunction with the drawing which forms apart hereof and in which thereis set forth by way of illustration and not of limitation one form inwhich the fuel container of this invention may be embodied.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of one form of fuel can constructed inaccordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is an end view in elevation of the can shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the fuel can shown .in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a reduced side view in elevation illustrating the manner inwhich pouring may be accomplished,

Fig. 5 is a reduced side view in elevation of the fuel can shown in Fig.1 showing the flexible pouring spout in a position which precludesaccidental drainage of fuel, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail fragmentary view in side elevation and insection of the vent sealing and pouring spout closing means of the fuelcan shown in Fig. 1 viewed through the plane 6-6 indicated in Fig. 3.

The form of the fuel can of this invention shown in the drawing is madeup of a vessel designated generally by the numeral I having a fiatbottom 2, vertical side walls 3, curved vertical end walls 4 and acurved top wall 5. The container I is preferably made in the elongated,flattened form shown so as to hold a reasonable quantity of fuel and atthe same time be conveniently housed beneath the thwarts of a small,open boat. To further facilitate housing within a space of restrictedheight the container I is provided with a pair of hinged handles 6attached as shown to the top 5. The handles 6, as appears more clearlyin Fig. 2, may be hingedly swung from the position there shown in fulllines to the position shown in dotted lines, thus limiting the effectiveheight of the container I when not in use to the actual height of thetop wall 5.

Commencing near the bottom of one of the end walls 4 is an inwarddeflection indentation or trough l which extends vertically until itmerges with the top wall 5 at which point it joins with a horizontalindentation or trough 8 which excarried to the bottomof the trough 7 soas to preclude the formation of a coating of fuel residues on theexterior side surfaces of the container I.

Securely fastened to the container l in vertical position and in mannerto communicate freely with the interior of the container l is the lowerend I2 of a flexible pouring spout l3. The flexible pouring spout I3 ispreferably made of hydrocarbon'resisting synthetic rubber compositionand is of a length approximating the combined lengths of the troughs land 8. The flexible pouring spout I3 thus may be housed within thetroughs I and 8 without projecting therefrom. when not in use and thusis protected against accidental damage. vided at its free end with aspigot or pouring end The pouring spout, I3 is pr0- in the form of asecurely attached metallic sleeve l 4 as appears more clearly in Fig. 6.

Sleeve I 4 is adapted to slidingly engage the" furnished with aretaining washer I! pinned in place asshown in'Fig. '6 and on theopposite side of the gasket l5 with an enolwise slidable washer l8;Pivotally mounted upon the air vent tube It is a pair of closing cams4'9 adaptedto beargwhen in closed position, upon the washer l8 as shownin Fig. 6 thus causing the gasket I5fto expand and sealingly engage thesleeve M. The cams 19 are rigidly joined to an actuating handle in theform of a hairpin shaped bail 20 which-mayberaised to release the camsl9 thus freeing the sleeve l4.

The flexible pouring spout l3 includes as an integral part thereof orasa separate member, a spring or other suitable resilient means 2|rigidly'secured at its lower end to the container l and adapted tocompel thepouring spout 3 to assume an upright positionas indicated inFig. 5 when the spout is released from all deflecting force other thanits own weight. The fuel can. of this'invention when in use may bemanipulated as indicated in Fig. 4 in which case the handles 6 aregrasped as shown, with the container l in substantially horizontalposition. The sleeve 14 of the flexible pouring spout I3 is theninserted into the filling opening 22 of a fuel tank 23which is to befilled. The container'i then need only be raised in horizontal positionas is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 in order to cause fuel to flowinto the tank 23. If the container i is nearly empty the same, ofcourse, maybe tipped from horizontal position and in thi man-' 'ner'substantially the entire contents of the container I may be discharged.{In filling a small tank such as tank 23 it is usually difficult totransfer fuel at a conveniently rapid rate and at the same time to stopthe flow without causing overflow of the tank 23. In the case of the canof this invention flow maybe regulated with great nicety by a simplechoice of the degree of elevation of the container l. Thus fuel may betransferred at a rapid rate until the tank 23 approaches the fullcondition and then the rate of flow may be reduced as desired andstopped almost instantaneously by simply lowering the can so thatavoidance of spillage is easily accomplished. When a filling operationis being performed in a small boat it is very convenient to be able toimmediately dispose of the fuel can and attend to the closing of, thetank which has been filled When this is done with the fuel can of thisinvention the pour- 4 ing spout l3 of its own accord assumes a positionsuch as is indicated in Fig. 5 thus preventing unintended escape ofliquid from the can since the spout is of a length greater than theheight of the container. In order to close the can tightly all that isnecessary is to slide the sleeve l4 around the expandable gasket l5while the bail 2B is raised and then depress the bail 20 to the positionshown-in the drawings, whereupon the can becomes completely sealed.

.1 claim:

1. In a ready pouring can the combination comprising a container havingsides, top and bottom, a rigid permanently open outlet passage emerg-,ing from said container at a point near the bottom of the same, and aflexible resilient tubular pouring spout deflectable to facilitatepouring but having sufficient resilient stiffness to assume a normalconfiguration when freed of forces other than its own weight, saidpouring spout having a length substantially greater than the height ofsaid container and having a free open pouring end and a connection end,the connection end of said spout being immovably secured to said outletpassage in permanently open fluid communicating relationship betweensaid spout and'the interior of said container. with said spout when innormal configuration extending upwardly to normally maintain the pouringend thereof at a level above the top of said container, whereby saidcontainer when idle is precluded from discharging its con tents.

2. A ready pouring can in accordance with claim 1 of enhanced stabilityagainst tipping when idle wherein the minimum horizontal dimension ofthebottom of the container exceeds the maximum vertical dimension of thecontainer.

'3. A ready pouring can in accordance with claim 1 wherein an air ventis provided in the top of said container, and a groove is providedextendingiipwardlyin one of the container sides from a point near thebottom adjacent the outlet passageto the top 'of the container andthence across the top of the container to said air vent, meansassociated with said air vent adapted to sealingly engage the pouringend of said spout when said spout is housed in said groove, said groovebeing adapted to drain spillage from'said air vent to the bottom of saidcontainer without distribution of the same upon the side walls of saidcontainer.

4. In a ready pouring can the combination comprising a container havingsides, top and bottom, a rigid permanently open outlet passageemerging-fromsaid container at a point near the bottom of the same, andaflexible resilient tubular pouring spoutdefiectable to facilitatepouring, spring means engaging said spout adapted to im,-. part theretosuflicient resilient stiffness to cause the same to assume a normalconfiguration when freed. of forces other than the weight of saidspout,said pouring spout having a length substantially greater than theheight of said container and having a free open pouring; end and aconnection end, the connection I end. of said spout being immovablysecured tosaid outlet passage in permanently j'open fluid communicatingrelationship between said spout and the interior of said containerwith'said spout when in normal configuration extending upwardly to.normally when idle is: precluded. from discharging its contents.

W 631 following page) are .r-

5 REFERENCES CITED 32 5 4 The following references are of record in the33:9 file of this patent: 1,336,853 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 1,363,656

Number Name Date 48,664 Doty July 11, 1865 367,529 Kendall Aug. 2, 18876 Name Date Garland June 23, 1891 Riebel Nov. 5, 1918 Mruk Apr. 13, 1920Jonassen Dec. 28, 1920 Bushard Nov. 10, 1931 Thomson Dec. 29, 1931

